PSG & NNOS Signed MoU
Medical Director of PSG Hospitals J.S.Bhuvaneswaran (left) exchanges an MoU with the Chairman of National Network for Organ Sharing (NNOS) R. Swaminathan (second right) at the inauguration of the Coimbatore NNOS chapter in the Hospital. Principal of PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research S.Ramalingam (second left) and Trustee of NNOS C.E.Karunakaran (right) are in the picture. There is a huge need to create awareness about deceased-donor organ transplants in India, R.Swaminathan, Chairperson of the National Network of Organ Sharing (NNOS), said here recently.
Inaugurating a chapter of the NNOS at the PSG Hospitals, he said India shared with China the dubious distinction of having the maximum number of deaths due to road accidents. If those organs could be retrieved and used as a lease of life for another person, many lives could be saved. Even developing countries such as Thailand were faring well in organ transplants, he said. Legally established in 2005, the NNOS had been working very closely with the government and had been creating awareness about organ transplants especially cadaveric transplantation, Mr.Swaminathan said.
A survey conducted in Chennai revealed that the awareness concerning organ transplantation was abysmally low. The organisation would collaborate with educational and health care institutions to take the message across to the general public. Coimbatore, with its clusters of educational institutions, hospitals and industrial houses, could contribute a lot towards creating awareness and sensitising the public to organ transplantation.
There was a need to promote cadaveric transplantation as extreme poverty forced people into donating their kidney, C.E.Karunakaran, Trustee of NNOS. In Tamil Nadu alone, there was potential of getting 1,000 kidneys from deceased donors. “A credible and trustworthy set up has now been established. It is now up to the medical fraternity to take up this cause,” he said. A memorandum of understanding was signed between NNOS and PSG Group of Hospitals. S.Ramalingam, Principal, PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, and J.S.Bhuvaneswaran, Medical Director of PSG Hospitals, spoke.
